Broken is Daniel Clay‘s first novel, and immediately I knew it was set in England. Just the language, the slang, and the style took me straight back to the UK.

I also really enjoyed how honest the book was. Sometimes it was narrated by Skunk, other times it was just 3rd Person Omniscient. The base of the story is around Skunk growing up: the family in her life, the people at school, and her neighbours. It’s a really interesting story — we’re first faced with Skunk in a coma, and we start at the very beginning, with Broken Buckley.

Broken was a really interesting book — I definitely got the sense of a “To Kill a Mockingbird” influence, and when I read the “thank you notes” from Clay, To Kill a Mockingbird was in there! I think it was their names more than anything: Skunk and Jed. (Scout and Jem from Mockingbird)… anyway, it was interesting material and it kept you guessing.

I really liked how when Clay changed characters or perspectives, there was a seamless flow into the next thought. Sort of like, “And there he sat, wishing he was dead. In another part of the square, Broken also was wishing he was dead.” Very good segues.

It’s a really difficult book to describe, but it is interesting, a good read, and well-written. So here is an excerpt from the publishers.

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